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“Feel free to call me an Obamabot. I consider it a compliment”

Over the years, I’ve been called a liberal as if it’s an insult. I’ve also been called a libtard, a Dumbocrat, a hippie, a socialist, a tree-hugger, a bleeding heart, a gay-lover, etc. And I’ve embraced each one. All these were directed at me from people on the right.

Now I find out that I’m an Obamabot. That’s someone who defends the current President of the United States, OUR president of OUR country. But this time, it comes from the left.

I embrace that word, too. But let’s examine what this “mean-spirited” insult actually means.

An Obamabot is someone who may disagree with some of the decisions our president has made, but at the same time, knows and understands why they were made. And we support him for them.

An Obamabot is someone who remembers how the president extended the Bush tax cuts to protect the unemployed from the GOP. Look it up.

An Obamabot remembers the hysteria from the left in April over the rumors that the president would defund Planned Parenthood as the GOP was demanding before they’d agree to stopping a government shutdown. An Obambot remembers those two words the president said to Boehner that finally put the issue to rest as Boehner demanded funds to Planned Parenthood cease: “Nope. Zero.” And Boehner was forced to back down. Look it up.

An Obamabot is perfectly aware of the president’s very long list of achievements and lauds him for them. And damn if we’re aren’t proud to say he’s our president. Look them up.

We also know a president can’t create jobs. That’s the responsibility of Congress, including a House that has struck down every, single job creation bill put before it and has yet to propose one of their own. Look it up.

And all of us proud Obamabots will take Adam Greene and the rest of the PL seriously when they actually manages the impossible: WINS an election for once.

I was labeled an Obamabot for the period of time I posted on Huffington Post, and looking back, I noticed how the firebagger posters there would pretty much use the exact same talking points that the RW use: belittling the President and those of us supporting him.

Other than yesterday on TPM, I don’t even waste time arguing with these firebagging liars. It’s obvious that they’re going to maintain the mindset that POTUS is a rightwing Republican DLC corporatist Wall Street puppet, and that we are “bots.” Quite a few of them are PUMAs from 2008 still unwilling to accept that Obama defeated Hillary during Primary Season 2008 and thought that he should have “waited his turn,” and the rest are dishonest Libertarians/Republicans masquerading as “progressives”/”the left.”

The House majority leader, who did most of the talking for the Republican side, said those taking out student loans should start paying interest right away, rather than being able to defer payments until after graduation. It is a big-ticket item that would save $40 billion over 10 years.

At one point, sources say, President Obama pushed back against the mounting menu of spending cuts while the tax column on the negotiating sheets remained blank. He asked the Republican leaders how they expected him to take their proposals seriously.

“I’m not going to do that,” Obama said. “I’m not going to take money from old people and screw students,” not without some compromise on the tax-increase side.

STUNNING Speaker Boehner just said this: ““Where’s the President’s plan?” asked House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) at a press stakeout after a GOP caucus meeting. “When’s he going to lay his cards on the table? This debt limit increase is his problem.”

His problem!?! His problem that a routine, purely congressional matter (raising the debt ceiling) is being held hostage because Republicans who pretend to care about debt, but actually care about leaving the wealthy free to enjoy low tax rates!?!

Boehner is feeling the pressure. And PBO just told CBS news, no guarantee that ss checks will go out on August 3rd if the ceiling is not raised.

Nintendow, I was reading comments yesterday when that site was flooded by anarchists who want the country destroyed. Those who hate Obama because he tried to save the country. It was dreadful. I bet Josh liked it. He seems to do everything he can to push the truth to his preferred attitude which is Obama is a loser.

I hope he watched Lawrence O’Donnell last night.

ps. It is hard to separate the far, far left from the right wing trolls.

P.S. Today, McConnell and Boehner are laying the rhetorical groundwork to blame PBO for their refusal to raise the debt ceiling. Madness. And a stupid political calculation as well. PBO will excoriate them, and rightly so.

Of course, it’s ALWAYS Obama’s problem. It’s NEVER Congress’ problem, even though they’re supposed to write and pass legislation.

Bohener is continuing to reveal how truly weak and ineffective he is as Speaker. Six months after his party took control of the House, there have been ZERO bills passed by his caucus that address jobs. He and his caucus have yelled to the heavens that the deficit/debt need to be addressed, now that they are being addressed, and POTUS has played rope-a-dope with them, Boehner and his caucus are retreating like the cowards they are.

Every day, through a hot Florida summer, I knocked on doors and asked my neighbors for their support. I had five opponents in that primary, but on Election Day, I beat every single one of them — with 53 percent of the vote.

Since that race, I’ve known exactly how important organizing can be. It taught me the principles I hope to bring to the Democratic Party as its Chair.

On my first day in this job, I recorded a short video to talk about my plans for our party. Watch it, then pledge to join us for some organizing on July 16th — when we’ll register voters and ask supporters to commit to help elect President Obama and Democrats up and down the ticket in 2012.

Check out the video, then sign up for our Day of Action.

Watch the video

We have big fights ahead, and I want to win them. In order to re-elect the President and win new majorities in Congress, we have to lay the groundwork for those victories now. That means getting started with good, old-fashioned organizing. That’s the message I’ve taken with me to supporters in the 15 states I’ve already visited as Chair.

But it also means embracing new ideas.

When I started, Patrick Gaspard brought me some suggestions that supporters like you submitted to help us make our party better.

I read feedback from people like Bill in Michigan who asked us to expand our organizing programs and Dick in Pennsylvania who said, “The message of all the good the President has done and accomplished must be communicated at the personal level by people in each community.”

I saw ideas from supporters like Kolman in Ohio and Alan in New York — who suggested that we deploy the power of charts, graphics, and striking multimedia to help win arguments and strengthen the facts of our case.

I heard from those like Vanessa in Colorado, who asked us to focus on research and messaging to push back against smears from our opponents, and Angela in North Carolina, who said, “Arm me with facts so I can counter the misinformation my friends seem to have on the tip of their tongues.”

This is exactly the kind of thinking — smart and supporter-driven — that I want to guide our work. That’s part of why I’m so excited about this job.

Are you ready to get to work with me? Join Democrats for our Day of Action on July 16th:

LL thi is bad news for Rupie Gordon Brown is mad as hell, and said that Rupie hired criminals, so I really hope there is an investigation by the FCC here on FOX they are criminals and they are getting away with murder, can we do something?.

That ship already sailed. The have lost the narrative completely to the very reasonable sounding President who has ‘bent over backwards’ to accommodate them and they refuse to budge. At this point it’s looking like a public lynching and with Obama saying Seniors and Vets and the Disabled might not get checks, that’s summoning up the lynch mob.

I hope what Obama said about Social Security was just a tactic and that he wouldn’t really let them get delayed. I have SSI (I’m an autistic) and I need those checks. I hate to say it, but now I’m getting a little scared.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation has revealed plans to buy back £3.2bn of its shares as it tries to stem the slide in its value. Photograph: Andrew Winning/Reuters

News Corp has announced plans to buy back $5bn (£3.2bn) of its shares in an attempt to halt the slide in value of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

The growing phone hacking scandal has sent News Corp’s shares down 13% since the story first broke. The share price collapse had wiped more than $5bn off the market value of News Corp. The drop was most painfully felt by the Murdoch family, which with a 39.7% shareholding, saw its paper fortune reduced by more than $2bn.

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Although at first glance it appears that News Corp is redirecting cash saved for the BSkyB acquisition towards the buyback, analysts said News Corp will be easily able to fund the buyback and buy the rest of Sky. News Corp has annual free cash flow of about $1.3bn and very little debt.

However, a growing number of City analysts are casting doubt on the likelihood of the takeover ever taking place. Credit Suisse said it believed there is now only a 10% chance of News Corp gaining full control of Sky.

“As well as a potentially significant delay for a Competition Commission review, we believe Ofcom has the power to use its ‘fit and proper’ test to erect an insurmountable barrier to the deal; and that the worst case scenario is News Corp is asked to divest part of its existing 39% stake,” the bank’s analysts said.

I’m an Obamabot and proud of it! I am sick and tired of Obama getting no credit for anything and whats worse he gets trashed by these idiots who don’t have a clue about anything that is worth while. I just read that I may not be getting my social security check may not be coming in because those sleezy bastards don’t want to compromise. These republicans are going to pay one way or another.

Don’t Give In, keep the Faith Jonathan, talk to our Lord and Savior, God’s got this. Hang In there, my Friend, hang In there. You are not alone. I get SS also and am retired, but I talk to our Father In heaven. Okay my Friend, keep your chin up, and be not afraid :-)

We need to bombard network and cable with this. This is outrageous. The Speaker is abdicating his responsibility and violating his oath of office.

BOEHNER: AVOIDABLE ECONOMIC CRASH ISN’T MY PROBLEM

He knows better. We know he knows better. And if the political establishment lets him get away with this garbage, it will only encourage more of this criminal stupidity until our economy crashes in 21 days.

The top two Republicans in Congress sought Tuesday to put the onus on President Barack Obama for failure to resolve a fight over how to increase the government’s borrowing authority. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said a deal with Obama is “probably unattainable” and House Speaker John Boehner said the specter of default is “his problem.”

The unusually blunt and combative language came just hours ahead of another White House meeting aimed at finding an accommodation on a package of spending cuts to accompany an increase the debt limit.

At the surface, the increasingly-foolish rhetoric is impossible to take seriously. But just below the surface, it seems pretty obvious that the rhetorical escalation is the result of a deliberate GOP strategy. It’s not complicated — these guys are scrambling because fear they’re losing the public relations fight.

There is no doubt in my mind that President Obama is attempting to get the best deal he can in regard to raising the debt ceiling, but he has no option other than thinking of the short-term effects of not raising the debt ceiling, as our establishment right now is based on short-term effects rather than long-term effects. Just as in the tax deal, The President is actually interested in all of those who would be immediately affected by his taking a firm ideological stance rather than making sure they do not suffer disastrous consequences. At this point in time, I do not know what else he can do. I prefer long-term solutions (which is one of the reasons I am a pacifist, because using violence to counter violence only validates violence), but our populace is certainly not enlightened enough to demand them from our government. I have absolute trust that the President cares about the welfare of the populace, which is why he works hard to get some sort of agreement with the opposition. It is very facile to believe that the crisis that would result in many lives were the debt ceiling not raised would lead to a revolution of the people. Those who think that have obviously never studied either the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution. The more demoralized a people the less likely they are to revolt. It was only when their welfare was improving (albeit slightly) and they were feeling a bit more more powerful that the people in France and Russia revolted.

Ladyhawke, see Rock’s post below. It appears that Boehner is speaking the truth, as there’s now talk of giving PBO the authority to raise the debt ceiling on his own. Profiles in courage, our modern GOP.

If this happens, PBO will get all the rewards for keeping checks going to grandparents. The GOP will be seen as the unserious cowards they are for not agreeing to sweeping deficit reduction. And the PL will once again eat crow. I wonder if they’re getting used to the taste by now?

Since I have full faith in what PBO has been doing on the debt ceiling/budget, I have been free to watch the Murdoch Tales; it is the best of British theatre. The whole government will be voting against Murdoch – Labour, Tories, Libs Dems and any other stray pol hanging around. It is unprecedented.
Rebekah (we are now on a first name basis) claims that the medical info on Brown’s son was given to them by a friend of the Brown’s. That’s no friend.
I have extra popcorn in case anyone wants some.

This is what is wrong with the House and Senate. They keep giving the President more and more power than COMPLAIN about it? I don’t mind them doing it for this President because he will do the right thing. The GOP are so afraid of their own base and teabaggers that they will forsake their responsibility. The GOP will not and does not know how to govern.

Hey OSG, my favorite ex-pat granny. Yes, I’ve been looking at the Murdoch tales with relish. I don’t know if this will finish him off, but it might get the shareholders of News Corp to impose strict controls on the family. The stock is diving, which will not make them happy.

OBAMA PLAYS THE SENIORS CARD, SAYS SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS MAY NOT BE IN THE MAIL WITHOUT A DEBT HIKE

Meanwhile, Republicans head into this disaster with polls showing they already stand to take most of the blame if the country defaults on its debts.
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So Boehner can literally only watch as the debate continues to get away from Republicans, some of whom (especially in the House) have no idea they’re losing. Boehner does know, which is why while trying to rally Republicans this morning:

Politico reports “he did warn them that they will quickly lose leverage in the debate as the country grows closer to the Aug. 2 debt default deadline and Wall Street and business leaders pressure them to cut a deal.”

And some Senate GOPers are figuring it out too, which is why they’re starting to grasp at straws.

It’s almost painful to watch. But as long as the president continues to demand that the revenue side be addressed — in other words, that Republicans vote to raise taxes — he will remain at the head of the class, and Republicans will eventually have to either come his way, or risk having to sit through a primetime presidential speech to the nation on August 3rd about how partisanship and an insistence on not asking the rich to share in the nation’s sacrifices is preventing the government from meeting its obligations, to the world, and to our seniors, military, and our most vulnerable. And whoever gives the GOP response will be, by default, small by comparison. Maybe they should let Eric Cantor do it, because Paul Ryan has pricy wined himself out of contention.

P.S. There is no certainty yet that Rupert and James will testify next week, and after watching today’s hearings where they flayed 3 very high up Scotland Yard officials and former officials, I’d opt that not appearing might be less damaging than appearing. That would be 99% vs. 100%

You know, as much as I disliked GW Bush, I never disowned him. I didn’t vote for him, and was opposed to most of what he did, but he was my president. This disowning of PBO from the Right—”He’s not MY president”—has become mainstreamed. Those on our side may kick and scream against GOP presidents, but we don’t check out. The delegitimization that our opponents engage in is not only shortsighted, but dangerous to the future health of the Republic. Bush was my president; I didn’t like him, but he was my president. I just wish those on the other side would give PBO the same consideration.

They will never get used to it apparently. You would think being proved wrong time after time after time over the last 2 years would have done it but it hasn’t. This won’t either. It will just be time to once again ignore that their predictions were totally off base and move on to the next “betrayal”. That way they can tell themselves that the President just keeps betraying the people and is a loser. Because if they actually acknowledge that he just keeps winning and is smarter and a far, far better negotiator and politician than they could ever hope to be, no one would listen to them anymore.

It is time for a responsible opposition party to rise in this country. The Republican party has been so corrupted that it can not govern anymore. All those who have fled the party or who sit in silence, stunned by the takeover of the fringe, need to get together and say enough, here is a new party born out of the ashes of the Republican party and ready to govern. As long as the religious rightwing nuts are running that party into the ground, we can not function as a two party Democracy.

There is a precursor to this – from wikipedia’s entry on the Dutch Revolt:

In 1566, a league of about 400 members of the nobility presented a petition to the governor Margaret of Parma, to suspend persecution until the rest had returned. One of Margaret’s courtiers, Count Berlaymont, called the presentation of this petition an act of ‘beggars’ (French gueux), a name taken up as an honour by the petitioners (Geuzen).

Seen this?
McConnell is blinking because wallstreet needs stability. And it’s not just me speculating. He says so. Explicitly.
If we’re unable to come together, we think it’s extremely important that the country reassure the markets that default is not an option.

The thing is, the GOP didn’t have to lose this badly. It could’ve been a draw. Raise the debt ceiling cleanly, like every Congress has done before, and then enter the political lists about deficits. But they overplayed their hand the same way that a gambling addict does; they just bet more and more until they lost it all. And Cool Hand Obama just smiled and kept taking the chips.

I’ve sent an e-mail to Cornyn asking for his home address so my friends and I have a roof over our heads, food, and medical care. I told him I’d have a number for him next week, so he could hire doctors & purchase food and beds.